My dad is in intensive care. Yesterday [May
5th], around noon, he was involved in a single vehicle
motorcycle accident. While the Ducati is banged up
pretty good, it's not nearly as damaged as its
operator. A broken left wrist & humorous, shattered
right clavicle, and multiple broken right side ribs
are the minor injuries; bleeding in his right lung and
brain are the serious injuries which are compounded by
his having been on Plavix, a blood thinner, for the
stints he had inserted a couple months ago. The latest
CT scan indicates that the brain hemorrhaging is not
currently severe enough to require opening the cranium
to relieve pressure, yet, and we are hoping it stayed
that way. He will most likely need orthopedic surgery
to reconstruct and plate the shattered collar bone at
some point....

Mile marker 39 of MT HWY 89 South bound just north of
Niehart, MT is where the accident occurred. Excessive
speed was NOT a factor, nor was alcohol involved
according to MTHP. He was wearing a helmet, leather
coat, gloves, jeans, and boots; his normal riding
attire. He is alive due to his responsible clothing
and gear choice.....

(Later)

The suspected fractures to his left arm and wrist have
been xrayed & proven to not be broken. Orthopedic
surgeon has also determined that the collar bone won't
need surgery after all. He has periods of restlessness
during which he can minimally respond to commands such
as moving specified limbs/digits. This is particularly
encouraging as it indicates increased brain function.

There's no significant changes to report on my dad's condition. He is and has been stable since admittance and able to give muscular responses on command for the past couple days. Otherwise we are in a wait-and-see holding pattern.

I was able to see Jim on Saturday evening. He is still in the ICU. He was awake and seemed somewhat aware, but not very responsive. I think he knew who I was and could understand me, but could only move his head and hands a bit. He seemed very tired. He is on pain medication, but not sedatives.

I told him that a lot of folks are pulling for him and praying for him here on the BSB, and read him the messages that have been posted so far on this thread. I visited for a while about other things, as well. I'm not sure how much he was with me, but I am sure that it did him good to hear these things.

I talked with the nurse, also. Because of the Plavix, they decided not to evacuate the bleeding on brain, but decided to let it abate on its own. They did stop the Plavix and installed a clot filter to keep any clots from forming. She said that he is slowly improving. Yesterday, they were scheduled to start weaning him off trachea tube. She showed me his helmet and it was in pretty bad shape. Greg showed up too, and we talked a bit. He said that Saturday had been a very good day, and that improvement has been very much in the right direction, but is slow. He showed me a couple of photos from the crash site, and it is evident that his driving skills and protective clothing definitely saved his life, along with the some very good medical attention on the scene and at the hospital.

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